


Broken Bones and Stubborn Hearts

by idmakeitbehave



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hair Washing, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, M/M, Minor Injuries, Spencer Reid is a stubborn stubborn man, help i can't stop writing cheesey one shots, wow that's really a tag lmao welp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:34:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26352007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idmakeitbehave/pseuds/idmakeitbehave
Summary: Spencer Reid is a stubborn, stubborn man- exceptionally so when he's injured.The good news is you're just as stubborn and always hell-bent on taking care of him- especially when you're the one who broke his arm.
Relationships: Spencer Reid/Reader
Comments: 6
Kudos: 213





	Broken Bones and Stubborn Hearts

Spencer Reid was stubborn.

You had known this for a long time- probably since the day you first met him. He had proven it time and time again. You saw it in the way he removed his kevlar vest _every_ goddamn time Hotch specifically told him not to, in the way he fixated on ciphers and riddles that he just _had_ to solve all by himself, and especially in the way he refused to accept help every single time he was injured.

Stubborn, bullheaded man.

You supposed it was just one of the many things you loved about him, one of the many things that made him… well, _him_. You knew you were a goner when you found it more endearing than annoying, and you had chided yourself for it. Talk about famous last words.

When Spencer was hurt, it was like pulling teeth to get him to let you help him. This time was no different than all the rest.

The team had just wrapped up a case, exhausted from a string of sleepless nights and thrilled to finally have caught the unsub that had led you through the city on a seemingly endless chase. You and Spencer weren’t able to sleep, which was fairly typical for both of you, and you dragged him down to the hotel pool. He had protested, of course, but you knew he couldn’t say no to you. You had been best friends for so long that you knew just how to get to him.

You jumped in the pool the moment you got there, swimming up to the surface to see a very wet, very disgruntled Spencer standing at the edge. He grumbled at you for a brief second before following suit and joining you. All was well until you ran across the wet floor in search of a pool noodle to hit Spencer with. He knew exactly what you were doing and followed you, grabbing you instinctively when you lost your footing and slipped on the floor.

Unfortunately, his chivalry meant that you _both_ ended up falling to the ground, crashing into one another. You got out generally unscathed, just a bump to the side of the face that left a nasty bruise, but Spencer was a whole other story. His arm was twisted at an awkward angle, and he hissed in pain when you tried to help him up. He insisted he was fine, as usual, but after more than thirty minutes had passed and he was still making a face every time that he thought you weren’t looking, you dragged his ass to the hospital.

Hotch had been disappointed, but not surprised, when you called him from the emergency room at 4am, explaining the situation. Your punishment for being overgrown children was tackling the nine hour drive from Atlanta while the rest of the team flew back that morning as scheduled.

You drove the entire way- you knew it would probably be that way with or without Spencer’s injury if history was anything to go by. Now you just had the added bonus of dealing with a giant baby for nine hours. Spencer may have been stubborn when hurt, but he was also whiny as all hell. Thankfully you knew him well enough to know how to get him to shut up. Copious sugary coffee drinks, several bags of sour candy, and an audiobook later, he was finally staring contentedly out the window. His good hand was drumming a rhythm only he could hear on his cast- purple with your name written in huge letters across it, surrounded by hearts.

Once you made it home, Spencer had insisted that you go to your apartment and get some rest. You acquiesced after making sure that he was settled in and forcing him to promise to call you the second he needed anything. He rolled his eyes at you, but the warm one-armed hug he gave you before you left told you how much he appreciated everything.

A few days passed, and you were returning from the one case without him. Hotch had required him to take the time off, and your boss was nearly as stubborn as Spencer himself.

You had sent Spencer a text on the jet while on your way home, asking him if he needed anything. He, of course, told you that he was fine and you had scoffed at your phone, earning a glance from Emily. “Just Spencer being Spencer.” She had nodded with a knowing smirk, well aware of how hard it was to get him to accept help.

Hours later, when you received a text from Spencer that simply read _“Are you awake?”_ you knew exactly what to do. He only lived a ten minute drive away from you, and you headed to his place immediately. When he answered the door, you had to hold back laughter at his rumpled pajamas, the cast sticking out of his oversized t-shirt, and the ridiculous look on his face.

“Hey.” He turned away from you, and you swore that you heard him sniffle.

Your smile dropped from your face as you followed him into his apartment, shutting the door behind you. “Hey, Spence. Talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.”

Goddamn _stubborn_ man.

“Come on, Spence.” You grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him to face you. He glanced at you sheepishly, and you could see just how exhausted he was. He looked sad too, but you couldn’t quite place why. “What’s going on?”

“It’s stupid.”

You let out a laugh. “Nothing you do is ever stupid, Boy Genius. What’s up?”

He gestured vaguely up to his hair, which you noted was more disheveled than normal and looked like it hadn’t been washed since before that night in the hotel. “I, uh,” he sniffed, “I wanted to wash it- I _tried_ to wash it, but my shower is just so freaking small and I couldn’t get the plastic bag over my cast and even if I could, it wouldn’t even _fit_ in the shower and-”

You reached up to hold his face in your hand, wiping away the lone tear that trailed down his cheek. It suddenly made perfect sense. You knew all too well how it felt to be exhausted and injured and just damn lonely.

He stared at you for a moment, eyes widening when you turned and grabbed a chair from his kitchen table. You placed it in front of the sink before pointing to it. “Sit.”

He stood there without moving, a look of confusion on his tired face. You sighed, holding him by the shoulders and steering him towards it. He sank into it with a thud, eyebrows raised at you. For a genius, he really could be oblivious sometimes.

“What are you-”

You shushed him, grabbing a towel and draping it around his shoulders before gently pushing his head back until his neck rested against the kitchen counter. You turned on the water, checking the temperature before picking up the sprayer and wetting his hair. He let out a sigh as the warm water hit his scalp, and you could see his body language visibly relax.

You left him in the chair while you went to grab the shampoo, smiling at the sight of him as you walked back into the kitchen. This silly, lanky man in his dinosaur pajama pants and giant Circus Circus t-shirt, his hair dripping into the kitchen sink. He looked absolutely ridiculous, and you realized you had never loved him more.

You worked the apple scented shampoo into his hair, scratching his scalp with your fingernails. His eyes fluttered closed at your touch, and you were suddenly acutely aware of how close to him you were. You could feel his breath on your arm as you leaned over him, rinsing out the shampoo. You took your time, noting how the tension left his body as he sighed again.

When all of the shampoo was gone, you toweled his hair so it was no longer sopping wet, laughing at the content look on his face- he looked like a puppy happy to be getting belly rubs.

He opened his eyes, beaming up at you with a soft smile. “What did I do to deserve you?”

“Anything for you, Spence. I mean it.” You pressed a kiss to his forehead, and his grin seemed to grow even wider. In an uncharacteristically bold move, he tugged you by the waist with his good arm, pulling you into his lap. You let out a surprised giggle, arm wrapping around his shoulder instinctively.

You sighed, reaching up to boop his nose. He scrunched his nose at your touch and you dared to press a kiss to it, laughing lightly again. You were a goner. It was over. He had your heart entirely. You had already known this for a long time, for forever it felt like, but this only served to solidify it.

He stared at you again, the look in his eyes somehow both innately familiar and unnerving. The two of you were close, had been almost from the very beginning when you joined the team, but something about this moment felt different.

“Spence?” Your words were a whisper as you reached your hand towards his, your fingers threading together as they had a million times before.

“Yeah?” he murmured as you ran your free hand through his damp curls.

“I’m kind of in love with you.”

There was a pause before his face broke into a bright smile. “I’m kind of in love with you too.”

You stared at him, blinking as you struggled to process the words that he had just said. Time seemed to stand still for a moment before Spencer broke you out of your trance, pressing a soft kiss to your lips. You returned the kiss, gently at first, then more fervidly, your hands reaching up to the sides of his face, holding him as though you never wanted to let go. You only pulled away when you knocked into his cast, earning a startled laugh from him as you gazed at one another, wondrous looks on each of your faces.

You brushed his cheek with your lips before placing another light kiss on his mouth. “I’m really sorry I broke your arm.”

Spencer simply smiled at you, laying his head on your shoulder. “It’s alright. I think it was worth it.”


End file.
